The Dragon's Call
by Kvothe of Many Talents
Summary: No young man, no matter how great, can know his destiny. He cannot glimpse his part in the great story that is about to unfold. Like everyone, he must live and learn. And so it will be for the young dragonlord arriving at the gates of Camelot.
1. Prologue

The Dragon's Call

It was almost dawn when the riders finally reached the lone figure. It would seem that no unarmed man could face a dozen riders alone, but this was no ordinary man. This was Balinor, the Last Dragonlord, and he fought with the anguish and desperation of a man, who only days ago left behind the woman he loved.

Preternatural senses allowed him to detect the riders before they found him, but there was nowhere to hide in an open plain. Anyway, he was tired of hiding, tired of running. He wasn't going to do so anymore and if it is his destiny to die on this plain, than he will do so with pride.

As the riders surrounded him, it was the dragonlord who made the first move. A jump, propelled by incredible strength gifted to all dragonlords, allowed him to fell a man right of the horse and break his neck upon intact with the earth. Grabbing the man's dagger, Balinor swiftly moved to his right, escaping a volley of crossbow bolts and cut open a horse's throat. "Sorry, innocent one, but I am fighting for my life," he mentally apologized as the horse fell down, trapping its rider under it.

The men tried to surround him, but Balinor easily escaped them, dispatching two of his pursuers in the chaos. His enemies tried to fight him as they were used to, but so many men interfered with each other in close quarters and he didn't hesitate to take advantage of it. As it became more and more obvious that, as absurd as it sounded, the man was winning, the riders tried to dismount to fight him better. Only three of them survived by the time.

The three were cautious, having already seen what the man was capable of.

-I have no quarrel with you. - Balinor tried to reason.

-We have orders. - Replied the older of the three and lunged. The dragonlord danced aside, but the other pair also joined the fight. The fight was quick and fierce. Dragonlord's superior strength and skill with a knife against three man trained to fight and using weaponry with better range. In the end it was their inability to work with each other that left the dragonlord the last one standing. Bloodied, bruised, but alive.

Perhaps, it was this relief of being alive that made him hear the twinge of a crossbow just a second too late. Balinor turned his head in disbelief, looking at the bolt in his back.

-You killed me. - He told the rider who's horse's throat he cut, the last man alive on the field, and dropped dead.

-To hell with Uther, to hell with his orders. - The rider muttered, climbing from the horse and barely holding in a scream of pain. - I am not coming back if this is what he sends us out to hunt. Whoa, whoa...

Knowing he couldn't walk with a broken leg, the man tried to calm down one of his companions' uninjured horses. As the horse took a step toward him, it accidentally stepped on one of the dead man and slipped. Trying to hold its balance the horse reared up and one of its hooves cleaved straight through the man's scull.

As the marauders took everything valuable and scavengers took care of the corpses, there soon was nothing to show for a battle happening here. With nobody to report otherwise, Uther Pendragon continued believing that the last dragonlord lived and sending out search parties for him, but never again did he find another trail of Balinor. It was as if the man just disappeared.

All in all, it would have been an unremarkable fight, if it wasn't for a certain something that left Balinor upon his death. A certain something that traveled, unfaltering, right into the womb of a woman still unaware of her pregnancy.

The mantle of the dragonlord was heavy, heavy enough to smother the flame of magic being born into a few embers. Heavy enough to change the destiny of a young boy. A boy that will, in time, father a legend. His name: Merlin.


	2. The Dragon's Call

Chapter 1

-Where would I find Gaius, the – the court physician? - Merlin questioned the guard. He knew it was irrational, but after the beheading he had just seen, he almost believed that as soon as people would look at him, they would know he wasn't normal. And his gifts were close enough to sorcery to warrant an execution.

Fortunately, the guard didn't as much as say a word, pointing down the corridor.

-Hello? Hello? Gaius?

The old man looked from the balcony and started turning, only to trip over backwards. Merlin was moving the moment he heard the crunch of breaking wood, but still was almost too late. As the body of the physician hit him, he grunted from the exertion and they both ended up sprawled on the floor with their breath knocked out.

-Who are you? - Questioned Gaius as soon as he stood up.

-Oh, erm...I have this letter.

-I don't have my glasses.

-I'm Merlin.

-Hunith's son?

-Yes!

-But you're not meant to be here till Wednesday!

-It is Wednesday.

-Ah, right then. You better put your bag in there. And Merlin? Thank you.

As Merlin started to get himself acquainted with his new guardian, he felt the pull he felt getting ever stronger. In Ealdor it was just a feeling, but now he almost felt as if someone was calling his name.

_Merlin...Merlin..._

-Merlin! Are you even listening?

The young man grinned sheepishly. The Court Physician sighed:

-I guess it was too much to expect a young man, such as yourself to sit patiently when introduced into a castle. Tomorrow we will speak of your duties, but now shoo! Go, explore.

Merlin smiled gratefully and took his leave as the old man took out Hunith's letter. After having spend his whole life in a small village a town with a castle such as Camelot was truly breathtaking, even if the earlier execution put something of a dampener on his excitement. However, it wasn't the castle, that caught his attentions. Since birth he's been feeling this _pull_. Now he was closer than ever to its source and was not going to wait another minute. Moving through Camelot's twisting passages, he stopped at regular intervals to listen to his inner voice and pinpoint the location it was coming from.

His path led him into the dungeons, where he met his first obstacle. The entrance was guarded by a couple of guards. Merlin sighed, closed his eyes and concentrated. He once asked his mother if his powers were sorcery. She denied it and said that the power he wields was much, much older. Older than humankind itself. Unfortunately, that was all she said and no amount of pleading could get her to elaborate. Merlin loved his mother, he truly did, but sometimes she was frustratingly evasive.

Merlin's powers allowed him limited control over the four elements. He didn't require any incantations, but neither was it effortless – any evocation required dedication and force of will. Fortunately, summoning a gust of wind to roll the guards' dice off the table and around the corner was fairly easy, requiring barely five seconds of wrestling the stale dungeon air under control.

As he descended, the feeling got stronger than ever. So strong, in fact, that he knew – what he searched for was right around the bend. And that was what was scaring him. He has been feeling _the pull _his whole life. Finding its source was his life's goal. What would he be without it?

Then, there also was the fact of the mystery itself. He has laid so many sleepless nights, trying to imagine what could possibly be at the heart of _the pull_...It was wonderful, it was terrible, it was an object, it was a human, it was a creature, it was luring him into a trap, it would disclose mysteries of life...He still didn't know what it was, but one thing he knew for certain. Once he reached his goal, his life would never be the same again, as cliché as that sounded.

Merlin rounded the corner and entered into a great cave/ The walls, the ceiling, the floor – all extended far into the darkness, with the light of his torch sending shadows dancing all around him.

-Merlin!

The young man felt he should have jumped, or been scared or something, but as soon as he saw the great shadow descend onto a giant stalagmite, he felt a sensation of peace, acceptance and warmth wash all over him. It was as if he came home after a long time away.

-You have surprised me, young dragonlord. Not even I could foresee seeing you this soon.

-Dragonlord? - Merlin asked, scrutinizing the dragon with the same intensity the dragon was studying him. - Is that what I am?

-Indeed. - The dragon nodded. - How small you are for such a great destiny...

-We'll return to that later. - Merlin raised his eyebrow. - First of all, what are you doing here?

The dragon's eyebrow was raised higher thanks to the fact that his face was larger.

-I have been chained here for twenty years by Uther Pendragon.

Merlin nodded. He remembered Uther's claims this very morning that he has chained the Great Dragon.

-Have you no kin, who could break you out of here?

The Great Dragon let out a howl, echoing through the cavern and morphing into an otherworldly scream, but Merlin felt no fear. He knew that the wail was full of grief and sorrow and anger, but that anger was not directed at him.

-Know this, young dragonlord, just as you are the last of your kind, I am the last of mine. There are no other dragons left to share the skies with me, in Albion or outside of it.

-Can I help get you out of here... - Merlin inclined his head, listening to the inner voice, - Kilgharrah?

This time both of the dragon's eyebrows rose.

-You truly are one of a kind, Merlin. Unfortunately, there is nothing you could do. Only powerful _human _magic could free me and, though there is much hidden in you that even you are unaware of, you can't help me.

-There is no key to those chains? No weak spots that could be cut over a prolonged period of time?

Kilgharrah laughed.

-Believe me, young dragonlord, I searched for twenty years. Uther's intention was to lock me away for all eternity and he was fairly successful.

-Well, - Merlin said, determined, - then I will find a sorcerer, a powerful human sorcerer to cut the chains. A creature as noble as yourself does not deserve to rot in here.

-Thank you. - The dragon said after a small pause. - You don't know how much this means to me.

-Ok, - Young dragonlord replied, somewhat embarrassed. - So what's this about a destiny?

(())

As the guards dragged him away, Merlin looked back at Arthur in pure disbelief. _This _was his destiny? _This _was the other side of his coin and the man who he's supposed to protect? Hell, Merlin would rather give a hand to anyone attempting to off the ass!

-Merlin! - Gaius stormed into the dungeons an hour after the confrontation between the dragonlord and the prince. - You never cease to amaze me! I only just finished your mother's letter when I saw you in the courtyard, and fighting the prince at that! The one thing a dragonlord like you should do is keep your head down and what do you do? You behave like an idiot.

-So mother told you? - Merlin sighed. - And not a word to me. Figures.

-Your mother asked me to look after you.

-Yes.

-What did your mother tell you about your gifts?

-Only that I'm special.

-You are special. The likes of which I have never seen before.

-What do you mean?

-There has never been a dragonlord whose powers manifested from birth. You see, a dragonlord receives his powers upon his father's death.

-Oh. - Merlin bowed his head. His mother always told him that his father is dead, but she never elaborated or explained.

-Yes. With dragonlords being as rare and as respected as they were, there has never been a situation like yours. On to the more cheerful topic. I managed to pull a few strings to get you released.

-Oh, thank you! Thank you! I won't forget this.

-Well, there is a small price to pay.

(())

-How's your knee walking coming along?

Merlin tried to keep his head down, he really did, but when Arthur started insinuating that he was scared and running away, Merlin snapped:

-From you?

-Thank god. I thought you were deaf as well as dumb.

-Look, I've told you you're an ass. I just didn't realize you were a royal one.

Seeing the prince's expression, which was equal parts anger and disbelief, Merlin couldn't stop himself from going just a little bit further.

-Oh, what are you going to do? Get your daddy's men to protect you?

Arther laughed:

-I could take you apart with one blow.

-I'd like to see you try, princess.

Arthur growled as the knights around him laughed. Suddenly someone picked up the chant and the others soon joined in:

-Fight! Fight! Fight!

Merlin took of his jacket and one of the knights threw him a mace. The young dragonlord fumbled a bit with the unfamiliar weapon, almost dropping it. His clumsiness seemed to mostly defuse Arthur's anger.

-Come on, then. I warn you, I've been trained to kill since birth.

Merlin offhandedly wondered what that says about a man.

-Wow, and how long have you been training to be a prat?

-You can't address me like that. - Though he seemed more amused than angry.

-I'm sorry. How long have you been training to be a prat, My Lord?

Merlin gave a little bow and Arthur grinned.

-Come on then, Merlin!

Well, at least he made enough of an impression on the royal, that he actually remembered Merlin's name.

Merlin swung his mace clumsily and Arthur easily danced out of reach. The dragonlord may have had incredible strength, defying his slight body build, but Arthur had a decade of experience in using weapons and fighting. The brawl quickly turned into his favor and the prince backed Merlin into the market stalls.

Merlin swung his mace again, but this time his opponent decided to block the hit instead of avoiding it. As the weapons collided, Arthur's eyes opened wide with astonishment, as his mace was almost knocked from his hand and he had to step back to avoid falling. Unfortunately, his foot landed in a bucket and he fell anyways. Merlin grinned, but noticed Gaius frowning disapprovingly in the crowd and paused. Arthur used the moment to knock him down to the floor with a broom, ending the fight.

As the guards bent to pick him up and haul him to the dungeons (a recurring theme for his stay in Camelot, Merlin mused), Arthur stopped them:

-Wait. Let him go. He may be an idiot, but he's a brave one. There's something about you, Merlin. I can't quite put my finger on it.

(())

Merlin knew that something is wrong the moment Lady Helen began to sing. His enhanced hearing, better than that of anyone he knew, immediately picked the strange, enchanting undertone to the song, causing him to press his hands over his ears. He got some strange looks, but not for long, as court members began nodding off to sleep.

As he noticed the Lady pulling a dagger from her sleeve, he knew he had to do something. Any sort of elemental control would take too long, so Merlin did the only thing he could. Picking up one of the king's bronze plates, he hurled it at the witch as hard as he could. It made a dull "clunk" as it crashed into her side, followed by a "crack"of ribs breaking, a "thump" of her body falling down and a "swoosh" of enchantment being lifted, revealing Mary Collins behind the illusion.

The court members muttered, waking up and brushing off the cobwebs. What nobody immediately noticed was that the witch was no fully unconscious yet. With her side bent in, blood seeping from her mouth, she raised herself up and threw a dagger at Arthur.

Merlin reacted before he had time to think this through. Never before had he moved this fast. In fact, it almost seemed as if the time itself slowed down for his convenience, though he felt an odd burning, but not unpleasant sensation in his chest. It was a miracle that he managed to prevent either himself or the prince from getting impaled by that dagger.

His blood pounding in his ears, Merlin almost didn't hear the thud of the dagger slicing into Arthur's chair or the shocked gasps of the onlookers.

-You saved my boy's life. - The king said, a mix of incredulity and disbelief. Then, more certain of himself, - A debt must be repaid.

-Oh, well...

-Don't be so modest. You shall be rewarded.

-No, honestly, you don't have to, Your Highness. - This most definitely was _not _keeping his head down.

-No, absolutely. This merits something quite special.

-Well... - Despite himself, Merlin wondered what does one receive for saving a prince's life.

-You shall be rewarded a position in the royal household. You shall be Prince Arthur's manservant.

-Father! - Arthur exclaimed. Merlin's eyes widened in horror and he saw Gwen shoot him a pitying look, desperately trying not to laugh. Kilgharrah's words came to his mind.

Destiny, indeed.


	3. The Mark of Nimueh

Chapter 2

-Ready?

-Would it make any difference if I said no?

-Not really.

As Arthur started attacking, Merlin for the first time realized that, if Arthur took him seriously, the prince wouldn't have had any difficulties defeating him in their initial fight. When he said that he's been trained to kill from birth, he wasn't exaggerating. His attacks were lightning quick, pinpoint precise and strong enough to leave bruises even through armor.

-Head.

-Head? Ow.

Not to mention unpredictable.

-Come on, Merlin. You're not even trying. - And hit him in the back.

Okay, enough was enough. Throwing off the damn helmet and wishing he could do the same with the stupidly restrictive armor, Merlin fought back. His attack with a shield was so unexpected that it actually hit Arthur at full strength. His eyes opened wide as the air left his lungs with a swoosh and the prince went flying into the air, sword, armor and all. Giddy from his momentary victory, Merlin took an unguarded step forward...

...And woke up with a groan and a headache, seeing Arthur's cheerful face above him.

-Now, that's more like it. - The royal said cheerfully. - How's your mace work coming along?

(())

As Merlin cleaned Arthur's armor, he felt some resentment settle in with the exhaustion. He came to Camelot in order to meet the source of his _pull_, yet he only managed to talk to the dragon once so far. The Prat Prince's chores took up all of his time and more. _Much _more, considering that it was already midnight and he was still sitting in the armory having only gotten started on that armor. Suddenly, he heard a hiss and jumped. He spent a lot of time traveling in the forest near Ealdor (too much time, his mother often said), and could recognize hissing of a snake.

Lifting up Arthur's sword, he closed in on the sound only to find it coming from a shield. Picking up a candle he used, Merlin came closer and gasped. One of the painted snakes on Valiant's shield moved! Oh hell, it couldn't be anything benevolent, he just knew it.

Putting down a sword and getting one of the knights' maces, he lifted it up and hit the shield with all he had. Then again and again, until it resembled nothing more than scrap metal. The racket he raised certainly attracted some attention and Merlin decided that the prat's armor could wait. It was well past time to be catching up on his beauty sleep. The fact that he could hear footsteps approaching the armory had absolutely nothing to do with it.

(())

The tournament ended without an accident. Valiant raised some hell about his shield, but there was nothing he could do. Arthur found out that his armor still wasn't clean and gave Merlin even more chores. As a result, his armor once again wasn't clean when he fought Valiant in the finals and a clod of mud slid down his helmet, obscuring his sight. Valiant won the tournament without any magic, escorted Lady Morgana to the feast and stayed on as a knight of Camelot. Arthur put Merlin in the stocks, blaming him for prince losing the battle.

Typical.

(())

The life slowly settled into a natural flow. Merlin woke up just past dawn, ate a quick breakfast and brought breakfast up for the prince. Got shouted at for being late and spent the rest of the morning dogging prince's footsteps and doing whatever needed to be done, be it serving, cleaning or carrying messages. A longer lunch, during which Merlin exchanged some gossip and advice with Gwen, and an afternoon filled with endless chores. Finally, after he bid Arthur his last farewell for the day, came the dragonlord's favorite part of the day and he descended into dungeons, having finally found a secret passage to bypass the guards.

The evenings were spent conversing with Kilgharrah. The Great Dragon liked remembering earlier days, when magic was not just permitted, but respected. He liked reminiscing of even earlier years, before the coming of the New Religion, before the rising of Camelot. Back then, the dragons freely roamed the skies and searched the land, helping and aiding the emerging race of humans. Back, when the first dragonlords came into being. Every dragon was rare and precious, for no dragon's birth is without a meaning. Some signaled the coming of the better days, some predicted calamities. When he was younger, Kilgharrah's scales were brighter, the color of molten gold, not dissimilar to his eyes. The meaning of his birth was not hard to explain – hidden power and knowledge. And truly, as he matured, so did magic and alchemy, rising and flourishing. He saw and helped the rise of what was now called the Old Religion, though at the time it was a new one. Now, as age wore down on him, he only wanted to prevent magic from dwindling along with his health. With no other dragons left and dragon eggs, if any remained, well hidden, he felt it was his duty to do one final service to the Old Religion and honor his late kin.

(())

-Gaius? Gaius. He's still alive! - Merlin exclaimed softly to draw the physician's attention.

-I'm afraid there's nothing we can do for him.

-But we haven't tried!

-If we don't know what the disease is, then how can we cure him?

Merlin opened his mouth and closed it in frustration. Was there nothing he could do?

-Go on. - He told Gaius. - I'll just sit here with him until...until he passes on.

-Are you sure? - The old physician asked, concerned. Merlin nodded.

As the minutes passed, he could almost see the life leaving the sick person. He died, never even waking up. Merlin let a few tears slip past his eyelids, as a silent eulogy for a person who's name he will never find out.

(())

-What are you doing?

-I'm examining the contents of that man's stomach.

-Will this tell you who did it?

-No, but it might tell us how it's spread. One thing I do know, this is magic of the darkest kind.

-How can I help? - Merlin asked.

Gaius raised an eyebrow:

-Since when do you show an interest in physician's arts?

-Since I saw a man die in my arms and I realized that I could do absolutely nothing to either help him or prevent other death's like these. What do I start with to examine the...contents of the vial?

Of course, Arthur just had to barge in at this exact moment and interrupt them.

(())

Merlin watched as Gwen ran away, tears streaming down her face and felt more helpless than ever before. Her father was dying and nobody knew what to do. Except...It wasn't exactly true, was it?

Merlin jumped up excitedly. He couldn't believe he didn't think of it before.

-Hello?

-Hello. The great dragonlord returns, as I knew he would.

-I need a way to defeat this illness or sorcery or whatever it is, that's sweeping through the town.

-Yes, I suppose you do. Unfortunately, I don't know exactly what it is. The best I could offer is the location, from which I feel the taint originating. It is in the water supply.

-Thank you! Thank you! - Merlin was already running back, Kilgharrah's amused chuckles echoing behind him.

The young dragonlord barged into the physician's quarters and grind to a halt, noticing another presence.

-We have to help him! Gwen's father won't last a night. - Morgana implored.

-We're trying. - Gaius answered, sighing.

-Please, just tell me what I can do to help.

-I think I can help with that. - Merlin interrupted. The physician and the King's Ward turned toward him. - Whatever is causing the disease is in the water supply.

-And how did you find this out? - The old man questioned.

-True. How could you know? - Morgana agreed.

Merlin shot Gaius a look that said "I'll explain later" and turned to the woman.

-Yeah. Alright. You finally found out, I'll tell you. - Morgana even leaned in a little. - I'm psychic.

-No, you're not. - The Lady let out an incredulous snort, though she couldn't hide a smile.

-It's true! - Merlin insisted.

-Alright, what am I thinking?

-That I'm not psychic.

Morgana actually laughed at this, then shook her head:

-I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Morgana, the King's Ward.

-Merlin. Arthur's manservant and Gaius' aid. Nice to meet you.

-Water supply?

-Water supply.

Gaius sighed and got out the keys for the water supply tunnels:

-I'm old and I've got some work to do. Now shoo!

(())

Merlin heard the growl before Morgana did.

-Watch out! - He yelled. She only barely managed to raise her arm as the creature swiped at her. Blood flew, the King's Ward screamed and collapsed into the water.

-Morgana!

-I'm fine. - She muttered, rising and holding her arm close. - Let's get out of here before that thing comes back.

Only once they were out of the tunnels Merlin relaxed a looked at Morgana.

-You are covered in blood!

-I'm fine. It's only a few scratches on my arm. - Though her paleness defied her statement.

-We need to get you to Gaius! And before anybody sees me with a King's Ward, who looks like she was mauled by a bear.

-Too late. - Morgana said quietly.

-My Lady! - Gwen screamed and rushed to Morgana's aid. - What happened?

-Let's get her to Gaius before she looses consciousness and too much blood. - Merlin evaded.

(())

After they addressed the three deep gashes on Morgana's forearm, Gaius tried to shoo both women from his chambers, but they were having none of it. Finally he gave up.

-Let's make a hypothetical situation shall we? Let's talk about, hypothetically of course, a certain physician in a kingdom, where magic is forbidden. A certain hypothetical physician, who practiced magic before it was outlawed... - Both ladies gasped, but Merlin only raised an eyebrow. - A certain physician, who was allowed to stay in the kingdom and not be executed on condition that he never uses magic again. Following me so far?

Three nods.

-Then let's also say, that the aforementioned physician may have one or two books left over from that time. Books, that are not, strictly speaking, completely legal. Hypothetically, of course.

Once again, three nods.

-Now, there is a certain threat to that kingdom and two young people have seen the threat. Might those two people be interested in seeing those hypothetical books to see if they can find this threat?

(())

-Afanc. It is an Afanc and I need to find a way to kill it. If I wait for Gaius to search through his books, it will be too late for Tom and many others! Will you help me?

-Trust the elements that are at your command.

-Uh, the elements? Do I need to burn him or something?

-You cannot do this alone. You are but one side of a coin. Arthur is the other.

(())

-This is becoming a habit for you, Merlin. - Morgana remarked as he barged into the physician's chambers.

-I know how to kill the Afanc, but I am going to need Arthur.

-We are coming with you. - She immediately said. Gwen looked like she wanted to protest, but didn't know how. Then again, not many people, upon hearing of a dangerous magical monster, get an impulse to confront him.

-You can't. - Gaius stopped her.

-Why not?

-The claws of the Afanc are coated with the same poison that it seeps into the water. Despite all my treatments, you could collapse any minute.

Both women paled. Morgana swayed a bit and Gwen supported her.

-Well, at least I can do something. Leave persuading Arthur to me.

(())

-You'd better be right about this, Merlin.

-I just hope we find it before it finds us. - The dragonlord muttered, hearing a growl. As soon as he entered the tunnels, his mind was filled with all the ways he could help destroy the Afanc with his elemental control. Definitely not drown it – the thing lived in the water. Crush it under the stone? But he would have no way of knowing if the Afanc is dead and besides, the stone was probably the most stubborn element. It would take ages to persuade it to collapse in exactly the right place and prevent it from collapsing everywhere else. And why would he need Arthur?

The Afanc sprang from the water, knocking Arthur's sword and Merlin's torch from their hands. That's when Merlin realized what he had to do.

-Arthur, use the torch!

Creating fire actually requires control of the earth to create sparks and then control over air to make them ignite. Even then, fire is a volatile and unpredictable element. Air, on the other hand, is the easiest element to persuade and it always works the best with fire. Fortunate too, for the Afanc sprang again and Merlin's preparations came to fruition in a nick of time.

Arthur breathed out.

-That was intense.

Merlin could only nod.

Destiny was hard business, it seemed.


	4. Lancelot

Chapter 3

As so many things did, it started with a dream. Granted, the dream never foretold Merlin getting poisoned or the conflict with Bayard or how exactly Arthur will come to be alone in some strange forest, hanging of a cliff in the dark. Still, after Gaius explained how to get the antidote, it wasn't so hard to guess how her dream will come to pass. Nor did it require a seer to know that Arthur will never let her accompany him on something so dangerous (Morgana winced when she imagined Uther'sreaction at being told that not only his son, but his Ward as well has defied his direct orders). That was how she found herself dogging the prince's horse through the forest.

She contained herself when he fought the monster, for that was not his doom in her dream. She saw the "servant girl" smirking when Arthur couldn't see (seriously, what is it with evil guys, nobles or sorcerers notwithstanding, and smirks?) She was on the verge of attacking when the sorceress started chanting behind Arthur's back. Fortunately, the sorceress left pretty soon and Morgana managed to save the prince just in time.

-Morgana. I won't even ask what you were doing here. - He said, shaking his head. - The finale of the hunt was something unexpected.

-Tell me about it. It's not every day a girl gets to save her prince. - Morgana teased.

-Uh, I wouldn't say I needed exactly saving. I'm sure I would've thought of something.

-So you're too proud to admit you were saved by a girl. - The King's Ward said, growing irritated.

-Because I wasn't.

-You know what? I wish I didn't come.

-Me too. Then I wouldn't have to listen to you.

-Fine!

-Fine!

The two rode back to Camelot in frosty silence, where they were promptly arrested and thrown into the same cell.

-You disobeyed me! You both did!

Morgana didn't know if there was more fury or disbelief in Uther'sexpression. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to get involved in a shouting match with him right now.

-Of course I did! A man's life was at stake. - Then again, Arthur was never the brightest of princes. - Don't let Merlin die because of something I did.

-Why do you care so much? - the king seemed honestly baffled and Morgana seethed.

-He knew the danger he was putting himself in, and he knew what would happen if he drank from that goblet, but he did it anyway. He saved my life. There's more. There was a woman at the mountain. She knew I was there for the flower. I don't think it was Bayard who tried to poison me.

Despite her current anger with Arthur, she still felt a pang of guilt. She didn't even think of Merlin. Her quest was purely to save Arthur.

-Of course it was.

-Gaius knows what to do with it. - Arthur said, pulling out the flower. Put me in the stocks for a week, a month even, I don't care. Just make sure it gets to him, I'm begging you.

Uthercrushed the delicate flower in his fist and Arthur cried out.

-You have to learn there's a right and a wrong way of doing things. I'll see you're let out in a week. Then you can find yourself another servant.

Morgana knew it wasn't smart to interfere. She knew Uther would be furious. She also didn't care.

-Is this how you treat loyal service? Then it's a wonder anybody is still willing to work, much less die for you!

-What do you know about loyalty? Not only you didn't stop my son from risking his life, you actually accompanied him!

-Don't think I don't understand loyalty just because you haven't earned any!

-And Arthur earned yours? What help could you possibly have given him on a quest?

-She actually saved my life. - Arthur interfered. Uther snorted:

-That says more about your incompetence than about any Morgana's achievements. Both of you will sit here until you are ready to apologize.

With a swirl of his cloak, the king turned on his heel and stormed out of the dungeons.

(())

When Merlin sorrowfully informed Lancelot about the First Code of Camelot, his heart broke at the expression on the man's face. It wasn't fair! Lancelot saved his life and was noble and honorable and honest. He deserved to be a knight more than any of existing ones.

The dragonlord told Lancelot not to despair and resolved to speak to Arthur on the man's behalf again. Hopefully, if he harped on enough, the prince might actually listen. Merlin ignored the inner voice that reminded him that Arthur didn't have the authority to overturn the law.

(())

After hearing of this Lancelot man for the dozenth time _in an hour_, Arthur snapped. He was tired, hungry and sore from training with his knights and he did not need his idiot of a manservant harping about that upstart peasant for the second goddamn day in a row.

-OK. If he's as good as you say, let's see how he passes the knights' test. If he lasts a minute in free combat against me, I swear I will make a plea to my father on his behalf.

Merlin beamed:

-You won't regret it!

-Now, where is this miracle man of yours?

Apparently, the peasant took up some work in the castle. Arthur didn't consider himself a bigot, but hiring servants to be knights was the single most ridiculous idea he ever heard. Or, rather, the second. Right after risking his own life (life of a prince!) to get an antidote for another servant. Arthur sighed and promised himself to be open-minded.

The peasant was sharpening the swords and Arthur drew his. The man looked up:

-Sire?

-For some reason, my manservant seems to think rather highly of you and I'll be the first to admit that we are currently short of capable fighters. I believe, that's a sword you are holding? I'd like you to kill me.

-Sire?

-Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Badly. - Arthur felt a momentary pang of guilt for wearing armor while the peasant had none. But again, if the man is as good as Merlin seems to think he is, he won't need armor. As irritation surged in him, he put on a helmet out of sheer spite.

As the two combatants assumed battle stances, Arthur absentmindedly noticed that at least the peasant knew how to hold the sword.

To the prince's surprise, it was his opponent who made the first move. Strike, then again, and a third. Arthur almost opened his mouth in shock upon finding himself on the defensive with the initiative solely in the peasant's arms. Then he got hit.

"It's a good thing I wore a helmet," - he mused, his thoughts slightly muddled in his ringing head, as he staggered back. It was then that he decided to regard his opponent as seriously as any of his senior knights. Another minute of the fight allowed him to analyze his opponent's style. "He overextends his swings, he raises his arm too much fro a strike – you could see his lack of any formal schooling" - Arthur noticed, - "yet, he's fast and strong and knows enough about swordplay to make this difficult." Fortunately, Arthur knew more than just _sword_play and, as he brought both of the swords down, he abruptly lifted his left arm and hit the man in the head with a steel gauntlet. The peasant dropped like a stone.

The prince wiped the sweat from his brow. Damn, the man certainly knew how to fight! As he knelt to check the peasant's vitals (he didn't want to kill him, after all), he had only a moment to realize that sky and earth managed to change places before he felt something prod his chest through the armor.

-Do you submit, sire?

Even as the man was grabbed by the guards, Arthur watched on in astonishment. He was beaten! Furthermore, he, a fully armored knight (with a helmet even!) was beaten by a peasant without any armor and no formal schooling! While his knights were too polite to say it to his face, he knew they would gossip about this behind his back for a long time to come. Merlin, on the other hand, had no such reservations, and most certainly would not let him forget this.

Arthur rose somewhat shakily, his head still ringing from that blow. Even as he wanted to be angry at the man, the prince admired him slightly. His fighting skills were impressive, but it was what happened after that, that was so admirable. Anyone can train up to become a good fighter with a lot of time and a good instructor, but not many have that battle instinct, the agile mind required for a born warrior. The pea...Lancelot managed to evaluate the situation, realize that he can't beat Arthur in a fight, predict the prince's actions, create a viable plan _and all that in the time between being hit and falling to the ground_! _That _was truly worthy of admiration.

-Release him. - Arthur told the guards and turned to the man. - You have truly impressed me, Lancelot. I can't promise anything, but I will talk to my father about lifting the First Code in your case.

-Thank you, sire. - Lancelot bowed. - It's an honor to serve.

(())

As the warning bells sounded, Lancelot rushed out.

-On me! - The prince yelled and the knights surrounded him in a defensive formation.

-Defend! - The knights crouched, fighting off the monster's attack, reforming to an attack pattern moments later. Lancelot looked around, but there was no weapon for him and he had no sword of his own. Then again, the last time he fought the creature with a sword, it was barely ruffled.

The winged creature landed in the Square and the knights charged it, with Arthur at the head of the formation. Looking at them, Lancelot felt a pang in his chest. The camaraderie, the ability to help people and to fight for what he believed right – that's what the knights symbolized for him and lack of a weapon was no excuse to do nothing while other's fought for their lives. Grabbing a torch, Lancelot charged with the rest of them. As the prince of Camelot fell back, his spear broken, Lancelot thrust the torch in the beast's face. The creature reared back and took off, making hissing sounds all the while. "Body of a lion and wings of an eagle," - Lancelot wondered, - "so where does the hissing come from?"

He turned around and met the shocked eyes of the prince.

-Once again you surprise me, Lancelot. - Arthur shook his head, bemused.

(())

-His actions change nothing! He comes from no noble family!

-He laid down his life for me! He served with honor.

-I see you feel strongly about this, Arthur. Under the circumstances? A monetary reward, perhaps.

-No, not good enough, Father. You must grant Lancelot his just place as a knight of Camelot.

-Never. The law is the law. The Code bends for no man.

-Then the Code is wrong!

Uther opened his mouth to reply, but at this moment the rest of the party arrived in the room and he only shot his son a look, changing the subject completely.

-You said your knights were the best in the land. You proved that today.

-All I know is it's still out there...

(())

-Is it true? The griffin can only be killed by magic?

-Yes, Merlin. I am certain of it. If Arthur rides out against it, he'll die.

-Then he must be stopped. Uther must see reason!

-Where magic is concerned, out King is blind to reason. And yet...We both know someone, someone magical, who could help.

-Kilgharrah! Of course!

(())

-What is it exactly, you want me to do, young dragonlord?

-I don't know! Help!

-It is your destiny to protect Arthur, not mine. I am afraid, I have no advice for you.

-Arthur will _die _in two hours! That will prevent this Golden Age you tell me about from ever happening.

Kilgharrah rose on his hind legs and snorted angrily:

-Do you think I am unaware of that? Yet, there is nothing I could do from here!

-What about...What about...I got it! You told me of ancient weapons, burnished in dragon;s breath. They could slay anything, you said, and have powers none fully understand. Could you breath on a sword for me? I'll then give it to...well, Arthur will never take a new and untried sword to battle a lethal foe, so...to one of the knights or something.

-Have you no memory, Merlin! - The dragon roared. - Those swords are only created in the direst of needs and only for the most legendary of heroes! They are dangerous! I will not create such a weapon when it could fall into the wrong hands. Do not ask that of me.

Kilgharrah turned around, but did not fly away.

-But this is the direst of needs! - Merlin cried out desperately. - If not a sword, than a spear or a lance?

An angry huff.

-A knife, just a knife! Damn it, Arthur is going to _die _in two hours! What will that do to all those destinies? What will that do to your legacy?

The dragon finally turned his head.

-A knife. - He said finally. - One knife and your word that nobody except you will use it.

-Except _me_? - Merlin yelled. - But how am I supposed to slay a creature like a griffin with a _knife_? You didn't see it!

-One knife and your word, Merlin. An alternative is nothing at all.

-Yes! Damn it! Damn it to seven hells!

-Well? Where is this knife?

Merlin did not need to think for long. What he got out was not a fancy dagger or a knight's steel knife. What he used was a simple hunting knife he had his whole life. His mother told him it belonged to his father, and he was forced to leave it when he had to run.

-Here. If any knife deserves to be infused with the power of dragon's breath, it's the Talon.

(())

Merlin thought killing the griffin would be the most difficult part of the entire endeavor. So far he was being wrong. The most Kilgharrah could tell him was the direction he should search in to find the legendary beast, yet an hour has passed and there was no trail of him. Merlin remembered Arthur's words with a groan, because there truly is no way to track down a flying creature. In the end, it was not he who found the griffin. The griffin found him.

If there was one thing Arthur's training sessions were good for, it was for training Merlin's reflexes. As soon as he heard the sibilant hiss from above, he went into a roll and jumped under a tree's foliage, making himself safe from a flying attack. The griffin landed and immediately charged at the dragonlord. With a yelp, Merlin ran deeper into the forest, luring the creature into closer confines.

He really should have a plan the next time he goes hunting a deadly almost-invulnerable creature with only a knife, Merlin reflected. He dodged another strike and the next and the next, but this couldn't go on forever. He tried to think of a way to turn the situation around, but the momentary lapse in concentration caused him to dodge just a second too late, as the griffins claws raked several deep gouges across his shoulder. Crying out in pain, Merlin stumbled on.

After the first injury, the second was quick to follow. The third hit was hard enough to break one of the lower ribs. Merlin yelped, but managed to take a few more steps before tripping over a root and falling. The fall ended up being the most luck he's had since the ill-fated hunt began.

The griffin, unable to compensate for it's larger mass, barreled right over him and crashed into a tree at top speed. Overcoming pain, Merlin staggered toward the momentarily stunned beast and raised his arm, realizing too late that he dropped the dagger during the fall.

-No, no, no... - He muttered, falling to his knees and fervently searching the ground. Merlin briefly cursed the fact that as a hunting knife, the metal blade was artificially dulled to not shine in the sun. Finally, he found the knife almost at the other side of the clearing and, grabbing it, moved toward the creature. The griffin stood up, still shaking it head and spread its wings.

-No! - Merlin yelled as the first swing of the wings raised the fallen leaves up. He did not go through all that just to let the beast escape through the air. Half-stumbling half-running, he charged the griffin just as its forepaws left the ground. With a shout, Merlin grabbed onto one of the mighty wings. The beast hissed, but did not slow its ascend and soon the two were high above the ground.

Merlin was certifiably terrified. He was in pain, his vision was swimming and he held on for dear life as he tried not to fall. The situation was exacerbated by the fact that he could only hold with one hand, for the other held his only chance at survival – a dagger he promised he would never let fall into another person's hands. He tried to raise his arm to sheathe the knife in the beast's side, but his ribs protested sharply and he couldn't hold in a cry. With each wing-beat jarring his side, it was a wonder he was still conscious.

It was the griffin's attempt to unseat him that was its undoing. The creature made a sharp dive and Merlin yelped as his stomach was left far above him, but he held enough presence of mind to use the situation to his advantage. The beast was now below rather than above him and, as the griffin finally spread its wings to halt the descent, Merlin plunged the knife into its side. The momentum of the fall was great enough that the blade was plunged all the way to the hilt.

The griffin let out a hiss of pain and instinctively brought the wing in to the injured side. As they were still in the air with the other wing extended, this had the effect of throwing both of them down in a barrel roll. Only now, in the swirling vision of a falling man, he noticed that the struggle with the griffin brought them over Camelot.

They fell hard. The griffin was first, hitting the ground with the right wing, still extended in an attempt to slow the fall. The wing bent at an unnatural angle with a loud _snap_. The creature would have let out a hiss, but the fall badly winded the beast and pushed all the air out of its lungs.

Merlin's fall was greatly softened by the griffin, otherwise he would not have survived. With a _crack _another rib (or maybe two, he wasn't lucid enough to check) broke and he hit his head hard enough to warrant a concussion, before rolling off the creature.

The last thing he saw before falling unconscious was the griffin awkwardly hobbling toward the forest, battered, but very much alive.

_He had failed._

(())

Lancelot was just saddling his horse when Merlin hobbled out as fast as he could.

-Merlin? Are you supposed to be out of bed yet? - Lancelot asked in concern, fully knowing that the answer is negative. Though the fact that Gaius ran after his ward, cursing, may have been a little of a giveaway.

-Never mind that now. - Merlin said impatiently and tried to wave it off, but as he raised his hand to do so, he almost collapsed, letting a groan escape his lips.

-Merlin! - The fighter and the physician reached the young man at the same time, holding him up.

-Never mind. - Merlin repeated, his voice tight with pain. - Gwen told me you are riding out after Arthur.

-Don't try to stop me.

-Why would I do that? - Merlin asked annoyed. - There is something I need to tell you about the griffin. I would have told Arthur, but even if the prat didn't ride out while I was unconscious, he never listens.

-Yes? - Lancelot asked tentatively.

-The griffin is surrounded by an aura – a sort of magical armor, that would deflect any normal weapon, making him almost invulnerable.

Lancelot frowned and opened his mouth, but Merlin shot him a glare.

-Fortunately for you, while I was being mauled, I managed to cause a...nick in that armor. The wound itself would hardly faze the creature, but it created a small gap in the aura. It is the only place that you will be able to strike to truly kill it. It is a palm-sized wound, roughly three hands under the left wing joint.

-So I have to use my lance to strike at a a palm-sized spot on a moving dangerous beast that is going to try to kill me?

Coming from anybody else it would have sounded a sarcasm, but Lancelot found something else occupying his mind. After a moment's reflection he realized what troubled him.

-Merlin... - He asked slowly. - If no ordinary weapon could penetrate this magical armor...how did you do it?

Merlin fidgeted and nearly capsized as his injuries once more made themselves known.

-It wasn't sorcery, you must understand. - He rambled fairly quickly. - It doesn't even really count as _me _doing something magical...Well, I mean, yes, it's magical, but it's not sorcery...

-Merlin... - Lancelot interrupted gently. - Are you a sorcerer? I promise, I will not reveal your secret.

His young friend smiled somewhat shyly.

-I am not a sorcerer. However, I might just be...a dragonlord.

-A dragonlord? - Lancelot frowned, trying to remember what he heard of them.

-I'll tell you everything later, but, I believe, you have a prince to save from himself right now?

Lancelot quirked a smile at his enigmatic friend, who could be so shy one second and so forceful the next, then jumped onto his horse and took off.

(())

-You did it? - Merlin staggered toward Lancelot with all the speed he could muster, clutches gathered under one arm, the other pushing of walls to prevent the young dragonlord from falling down. Lancelot immediately hurried to help him stand.

-Yes, the griffin is slain, Arthur is alive and relatively unharmed, no casualties among the knights, through Gaius will see pretty much all of them.

-Yourself?

Lancelot smiled.

-Alive and well. Certainly better than yourself.

-Thank god. What's going on in there? - Merlin frowned in the general direction of the Council Chamber, where raised voices could be heard.

-Prince Arthur promised to plead my case before the king, but...

They both sagged a little bit.

-He is never going to agree, is he? - Lancelot asked sadly. Merlin sighed.

-I feel like a rather bad friend. - The dragonlord confessed. - You saved my life, saved Arthur, saved the kingdom, yet nothing the two of us could do will get you the knighthood you fully deserve. It just isn't fair!

-Well, if there is no chance left, I wouldn't want to cause tension between the prince and the king. I will leave the city immediately.

Merlin closed his eyes briefly.

-You truly are the most noble man I've ever had the honor of knowing, Lancelot. Thank you. For everything. And...when Arthur is king...I hope to see you again.

Lancelot froze. He already accepted the fact that his lifelong goal will never be reached, but Merlin's words rekindled the hope and he smiled.

-Thank you, my friend. I wish you the best of luck. - Lancelot said honestly and embraced the slight man. Merlin hugged him back with one arm.

Bracing himself, Lancelot straightened and pushed open the Council Chamber doors.


End file.
